Rattle
by brittany89
Summary: My take on what happens in the Underworld after 5x11. After going to the Underworld to save Hook, Emma runs across something potentially more dangerous to her that could jeopardize Hook's rescue. Do the heroes notice in time to save them both?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Tear**

Emma Swan's life was turned upside down on her 28th birthday when a 10-year-old boy showed up at her door claiming to be her son. That was the day her life changed for the better.

This is the day her life changes again…

 **-xoxo-**

Mary Margaret held on tight to her husband as they followed their daughter through the pond to the portal to the underworld. Regina and Henry followed closely behind them with Robin and Gold at their heels.

The boat slowly drifted into view with its dark passenger on board. A thick fog began to devour the heroes and villains as they made their way ever closer to the boat.

Emma, with a broken heart and fresh memories of her mistakes, stopped to watch the boat creep towards her and her family. As the realization of what she was actually about to do sank in, she opened her mouth. "Hook, I will find you. I will always find you."

After everybody had safely climbed aboard, the thick fog began to retreat as the boat followed suit.

With a brave face, Emma stood unwavering as the boat suddenly began to sway violently causing the passengers to be jerked around. Emma immediately reached out for Henry to protect him, something she couldn't do for Hook, but he was knocked out of her reach. Instead she grabbed onto her parents who reciprocated her embrace. Robin had his arms wrapped around Regina who in turn held onto Henry while Gold crouched in the corner of the boat.

A violent wind began roaring around the boat's passengers. The darkness of the sky was replaced by the darkness of a vortex which began to suck the boat through. The thick air was chocking and the fog was becoming ever thicker as the boat fell farther through the portal.

"Hold on!" David yelled. He secured one hand around his wife and the other around his daughter. They buried their faces in his chest to shield themselves from the violent wind. David quickly shoved his face against Mary Margaret's in an attempt to get some relief from the wind.

Then as soon as it began, it was over. The boat was still. Everybody began to regain their balance. They slowly unwound themselves from each other and took in their new, familiar surroundings. It appeared as if the boat had landed in the same pond from where they began.

"It didn't work," Henry stated, his voice full of disappointment. He recognized everything his eyes took in.

"No," Gold corrected, "Look around you."

At second glance, the familiarity of Storybrooke disappeared. While everything appeared the same, the air was thick with danger and disorder. Instead of stars, the sky was replaced by an amber colored mist. It didn't appear that there was a sky, just a vast pit of haze that was dotted with what looked like black clouds. There was an eerie silence here that none of them have every experienced before.

"Welcome to the Underworld," Gold announced. He held out his hand gesturing for everybody to depart the boat. "Shall we?"

Emma led the way through the pond back to dry land. As she moved along, her eyes scanned the familiar yet distant land around her. Everything that was familiar in Storybrooke was familiar here but there was an unfamiliar twist to it that she couldn't place. It was safe to say that this wasn't home.

"What now?" Henry asked.

"I don't know," Emma answered. "Let's just get to town and go from there." She continued to scan her surroundings.

"Things are different here, Dearie," Gold warned. "We must be careful."

Emma headed Gold's warning, but the fact was that she didn't care. When she told everybody her plan to come to the Underworld, she didn't expect everybody to come along. "Regina, I want you to watch out for Henry. I am going to find Hook and I don't know what's in store. I want him to be with you so that you can protect him."

Regina couldn't argue with that. She grabbed ahold of Robin's hand as they began to make their way into town. She wrapped her remaining hand around Henry.

"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret questioned. She knew her daughter. She was stubborn and strong-willed. She was also gentle and caring and with the guilt Emma felt for her mistakes, she knew Emma might do anything to get her love back, including something dangerous.

Emma scoffed. "I just want to keep Henry safe."

Once the group had made it to town, Emma figured out what the unfamiliar twist was. Everything that looked so familiar had a sense of darkness in it, a sense of danger. The clock tower above the library looked as it always did, but there was a cruel aura that emanated from it. It was quite unsettling even to her. But the aura that radiated off everything wasn't what made the Underworld so unnerving. It was the stillness and calmness.

"It's so quiet," Emma said. Her eyes scanned down this Storybrooke's main street.

"The spirits here," Gold began, "go about their business with no sense of purpose. But now that we are here, I'm afraid we disrupted things. We disrupted their existence and they know something is different. It's only a matter of time before they figure out that our souls are attached to our bodies and there's no telling what could happen."

"Well," David asked, "where do we begin?"

"Do objects from our Storybrooke appear here?" Regina asked in response to David's question.

"Depends on the object," Gold answered. He raised his eyebrow at Regina.

"Do you have a plan?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Maybe," Regina answered. She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts. "If my potions are here, then I can make a tracker potion."

"Could work," David nodded.

"What would we use as a personal item?"

"The Jolly Roger," Emma answered, rather quickly. "The thing he loves the most."

"You're forgetting one thing," Robin chimed in. "We don't know if the Jolly Roger is here."

"Only one way to find out," Emma said. She glanced towards the docks as if she could spot it from where she stood. "Gold and I will go to the docks to try to find the Jolly Roger. Regina, you, Robin, and Henry go try to find that potion. Mom, Dad, you guys come with us."

"Excuse me but don't I get a say in where I go?" Gold quipped.

"No," Emma said flatly. "I want you in my sight at all times. I don't trust you. Let's go."

 **-xoxo-**

Gold, Mary Margaret, David, and Emma stood in awe at the edge of the docks. However instead of the ocean they were expecting, they saw a vast dark meadow lined with neat rows of concrete slabs for as far as the eye could see. The sky above the meadow wasn't the amber color but a dark crimson. There was an eerie silence that settled over the concrete slabs. Not even the wind blew.

It wasn't until Emma took a few more steps towards the graveyard that she saw the words "KILLIAN JONES" etched onto one of the concrete slabs at the front of one of the rows "His tombstone," Emma whispered under her breathe. She turned around to face Gold. "What is this?" she demanded.

"This, Dearie, is the Isles of Lost Souls. It's what Hook's soul is tethered to to keep him safely in the Underworld."

Emma's heart began to slow as the realization of Hook's fate dawned on her. "Where are you?" she whispered as tears began to sting the back of her eyes and made their way silently down her face. She made her way to the graveyard.

"Emma, be careful," David called. He took a step towards Emma but Mary Margaret stopped him.

"She needs this, David."

As soon as Emma stepped foot on the grass in the graveyard, she felt a cold chill rush over her. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself to preserve heat. She kept going. She slowly kneeled in front of Hook's tombstone. The grass felt wet, but she barely noticed it. The chill she felt at first was gone. All her attention was focused on Hook. She rested her butt on her heels and silently studied the words on the tombstone. With each second her heart ached more and more.

Mary Margaret's own eyes began to well up as she watched her daughter weep for the love of her life. She was so worried when Emma became the Dark One. But now as she watched her daughter, that concern was nothing compared to the worry she felt for Emma at this moment. As the Dark One, Emma wasn't in any pain. But as Emma's walls came down and she began to accept the real possibility of a future with who is undoubtedly her true love, the pain and anguish was more real than anything she might have experienced as the Dark One.

David quickly sensed Mary Margaret's distress. He wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulder and gave a tight squeeze. He knew exactly what his wife was feeling. He was feeling it too. He couldn't ever imagine the pain with losing Mary Margaret and thankfully he does not have to feel it. But he wished Emma didn't have to either. "We'll get him back," David whispered to his wife.

Mary Margaret flashed David a sad smile. "I know," she whispered back. "I just don't know if Emma really believes that or not. I'm worried what will happen if she can't save him."

By now, Emma's weeping had grown stronger. The tears rolled down her face like a raging river. She raised a shaky hand and placed it hand on Hook's tombstone as if she was touching him.

"I wouldn't touch that," Gold warned. "You don't know what might happen."

This time Emma ignored Gold's warning. Touching Hook's tombstone gave her the strength to find him that she felt she lacked before. She pulled her hand away from the tombstone so that she could wrap her arms around herself. She quickly began to gather herself but not before a tear escaped her cheek and landed on Hook's tombstone.

At that moment a voice said, "What are you doing here?"

Emma jumped. At first she froze; she recognized that voice. Her head snapped to her right towards the source of the voice. Her heart skipped a beat. She unconsciously held her breath as she slowly stood, never taking her eyes off the source of the voice. "Hook!" she gasped, her voice almost failing her. He was standing just about ten feet away from her, on the docks.

"What are you doing here, Love? It's not safe," Hook cautioned, his worry for Emma stronger than his desire to embrace her. His voice was firm and full of concern.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Mallory**

Emma's heart raced. She couldn't believe that Hook was actually standing in front of her. "Hook!" she called, a smile on her face. She raced to him and embraced him. Her eyes began to well up. "I can't believe you found us." She dug her head in the crook of his neck.

Hook allowed himself to sink into Emma's embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and gave a tight squeeze. He closed his eyes and caught a whiff of her hair. He sank deeper in her arms. He allowed himself to feel her touch for a few moments before he placed his right hand tenderly on Emma's cheek. With his thumb, he caressed her cheek before pressing his lips against hers.

Emma happily allowed herself to be in the moment with Hook. Her parents and Gold melted away. It was just the two of them.

Hook reluctantly broke the kiss he longed for, but he was anxious to get Emma and her family to safety. "What are you doing here?" He gently grabbed Emma's hand in his and hooked his hook carefully around her other hand. "It's not safe," he said gently.

"I don't care," Emma said. "I had to find you. We are going to share a heart like my parents do." She leaned in for a kiss but Hook pulled away.

"No, don't worry about me, Love. It's too late for me."

Emma looked Hook in the eyes. "Killian, what are you talking about? You're right here. Let's go home." Her voice dripped with desperation and fear.

"I'm trapped here," Hook explained. "I knew you were here when your—" He stopped for a second, worrying about what he was about to say might sound. "—tear landed on my tombstone."

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

"I told you, Dearie. Hook's soul is tethered to his tombstone."

"Aye," Hook responded. "I was able to get away to warn you to leave, but they will notice soon. They'll come after me." Hook was beginning to get anxious. He wanted Emma out of harm's way. "We need to get you out of here." He reached for her to escort her back home.

Emma stood back, dodging Hook's reach. "No," she said matter of factly, boring her eyes into his. "I came here to save you. Let me save you," she pleaded. "Tell me how to find you. Tell me how to save you."

Hook gave Emma an apologetic look. "I love you," he offered in a low voice. He stopped. He placed his right hand on the back of Emma's head and pulled her towards him for a deep, passionate kiss.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked, her face twisted in concern.

Hook pointed his eyes upwards and winced. "I have to go. They noticed I'm gone." He placed his hand on Emma's cheek. "I'm okay," he offered. "Please go home. I don't want you to get hurt." Then as suddenly as he appeared, he disappeared in cloud of black smoke.

Emma turned around to face her parents and Gold. She wanted to see their reaction but theirs was just as blank as her own. She gave a heavy sigh. "Give me a minute," she said. She held her hand out to stop them from following her. She turned around and disappeared around the corner of a building. She propped herself against the building with her knees in her hand and took a few deep breaths. She needed to collect herself before she figured out her next move. She focused her eyes downward until something bright caught the corner of her eye.

A ball of what looked like dark purple light slowly floated towards Emma. It was fizzing like a simmering pot of water and glowed brighter than any artificial light. It was silent and hovered at eye level with Emma.

Emma straightened herself up to get a better look at the orb, her eyes wide. She reached out to touch it but it reacted. The orb suddenly zipped backwards. Then it started to change form. The tight ball became a wispy cloud of smoke that began to stalk Emma. She stepped back in fear and quickly brought her hand up to use her magic to stop it, but her magic had no effect on it. "Mom. Dad," she called without taking her eyes off it. She stopped backing up and simply observed the cloud. It began to emanate a soft buzzing sound and stopped just inches from Emma's face. Then it appeared as if the cloud started to rest as it sank low to the ground. Emma relaxed. She began to turn around but was quickly stopped when the buzzing sound began to grow louder. The cloud collected into a tight cylinder before it zipped through the air and directly up Emma's eyes, nose, and mouth. Emma gasped as she was unable to move. Suddenly her eyes turned dark purple, a grimacing grin crept across her face.

Emma was no longer there or conscious.

 **-xoxo-**

"Emma, are you okay?" David asked. He held his daughter up as she stood to her feet, concern plastered on his face.

Mary Margaret stood inches away. Her face carried the same expression as her husband's. "What happened?"

Mallory ignored the strangers in front of her. Instead she stared at her new body in excitement. It worked! Her spirit successfully took over Emma's body. She stared at her new hands with wide eyes which twinkled in delight. She moved her wrists back and forth as if it was a confirmation of her new state of existence.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret said loudly to gather her daughter's attention. "You called for us and we found you passed out. Now, what happened?" she repeated forcefully.

Mallory snapped to attention. It took her a few moments to realize that the man and woman before her was addressing her. Whoever these people are really love this Emma woman. If she wants to get what she wants, she needs to play along for now. She stared at the strangers. "Yeah," she said sweetly. "I'm fine." She stopped but realized that answer wasn't good enough because their eyes bore into hers. "I haven't eaten in awhile," she offered with a small laugh. It wasn't a lie. Mallory couldn't remember the last time she ate. In fact, she couldn't even remember how long she's been in the Underworld.

"Hook was right," David said. "We need to get you out of here. It's too dangerous."

Mallory smiled. "Let's go," she quipped, her eyebrows raised. The looks she got from the threesome in front of her made her realize that that was the wrong answer.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mary Margaret questioned. "You're acting strange."

Mallory nodded. "Of course," she said. "Now what we were doing?"

"Finding Hook," Gold commented slowly.

Mallory had no idea who Hook was but she sensed he was important to Emma. _Play it cool,_ she kept reminding herself. "Right, duh. Let's go," she said but she didn't move. Instead she pointed gesturing for somebody else to take the lead.

David and Mary Margaret looked back at Gold, confused.

"What happened?"

"I have no idea," Gold admitted. "I suspect it has something to do with touching the tombstone. She disrupted things even more than first anticipated."

Mallory rolled her eyes. "Nothing happened," she said, her voice full of annoyance. She flashed Gold a dirty look for opening his mouth. "I told you. I just need to take better care of myself. I mean I've just been so focused on finding Hook." She sensed whoever Hook was, he was important to Emma.

Silence filled the air until David spoke. "Look, let's go find Regina and Robin. The faster we find him, the faster we can get out of here."

Mallory perked up. She didn't know who Hook was but the sooner they find him, the sooner she can go back to the earthly world.

 **-xoxo-**

Emma awoke dazed and confused. She felt different. She felt smothered like somebody heavy was on top of her, but nobody was around her. She tried to move but couldn't. Then she remembered the strange orb/cloud. _What happened?_ she thought. She couldn't wrap her mind around anything. It wasn't until her body started to move without her conscious control that terror gripped her. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She could see her father pick her up off the concrete with her mother by her side. She could see Gold off in the distance, staring at the scene before him with a small smile on his face. She could see what was happening around her, but couldn't feel anything. She didn't have control of her body or speech.

Emma heard her dad ask her if she was okay. She tried to shout out that she wasn't but she was stifled. She began to panic. Whatever happened to her must have had something to do with the ball of light she encountered. But what? She had trouble thinking. She felt suffocated. Her mind was in a panic and with no ability to even control her own body, the panic she felt was unbearable.

"What happened?" There was a pause. "Emma! You called for us and we found you passed out. Now, what happened?" her mother asked her.

Again Emma tried to yell, to shout, to move. But she couldn't. Then her body began to speak to her parents. "Yeah, I'm fine." She knew it was her voice from her mouth from her body, but it wasn't her. She did not say those words. Those words were a lie.

"I haven't eaten in awhile."

Emma stopped. She tried to calm herself down. She needed to regain her focus so that she would figure something out to let her parents know that she was possessed.

"Hook was right. We need to get you out of here."

 _No_! Emma tried to shout. _We can't leave._

"Let's go."

That wasn't the type of response that would come from her mouth. Surely her parents would figure out that something is wrong.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're acting strange."

Emma felt relief when she heard her mom ask the imposture in her body that. She knows something is wrong.

"Of course. Now what were we doing?"

"Finding Hook."

"Right, duh. Let's go."

Emma was trapped. She was a prisoner in her own body. She had come here to save Hook. Now it looks like _she_ needs the saving.

"What happened?"

Emma felt helpless. There was nothing she could do. Nothing at all. And as the seconds ticked by, her hope that her parents or Gold would fully grasp the situation faded.

"I have no idea. I suspect it has something to do with touching the tombstone. She disrupted things even more than first anticipated."

Emma tried to take in a deep breath, but clearly that didn't work.

"Nothing happened. I told you. I just need to take better care of myself. I mean I've just been so focused on finding Hook."

Emma imagined being in Hook's arms with Henry by her side, safe from everything.

"Look, let's go find Regina and Robin. The faster we find him, the faster we can get out of here."

It worked. The panic was subsiding. She could finally focus her thoughts and concentrate, and when she was able to do this, she heard it. She heard somebody talking to her, but upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn't somebody talking to her. It was somebody thinking…?

It dawned on her. She could hear the spirit who possessed her body. She could just barely make out her thoughts. If she could hear the spirit, can the spirit hear her?

Emma didn't exactly know how to gain the spirit's attention. It's not like she could scream or even move to gain her attention. She was just a being rattling around in her own body. The only thing she could actually do was think.

 _Hello!_ Emma thought. _What's going on?_ Nothing so she tried again. _Hello, who are you?_

 _SHUT UP!_

Emma was startled. The spirit sounded evil and almost cruel.

 _Nobody will ever know you're gone, Emma. Don't bother fighting it. You'll soon be gone,_ the spirit spat.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys! Thanks for taking the time to read my story! :)_

 **Chapter 3: You Help me and I'll help You**

"Did you find the Jolly Roger?" Henry asked. He saw his mom and grandparents approach him. Gold was beside them.

"Yes and no," David responded. He took a step into the Mayor's office where Regina, Robin, and Henry resided. He took his jacket off and threw it on the couch out of frustration.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked. She had her nose halfway in a cabinet, rifling through her things.

Mary Margaret waited for the Emma look alike to answer Regina. Instead Mallory hung out in the background by the door. When Mallory didn't offer an answer, she spoke up. "Instead of the sea, there was a graveyard with Hook's tombstone."

Regina stopped what she was doing. "What?" she exhaled. She turned around to look at the newcomers.

"Oh yeah," David said. "And when Emma's tear hit Hook's tombstone, he appeared. It's like it summoned Hook."

"Well where is he?" Robin asked. He stood next to Regina.

"That's the thing," Mary Margaret said. "He said he felt Emma's tear on his tombstone but that he could only get away for a few minutes to tell us that he was fine and to go home."

Regina walked across the room. "That doesn't make sense. His spirit is somehow tied to the tombstone?" she guessed.

Mary Margaret flashed a sweet smile at her daughter who still lingered in silence behind them. "True love."

"What do you think, Gold?" Regina asked.

"I think we should heed Hook's warning and go home. There's no telling what else could happen here or what has already happened." He quickly glanced at Mallory with a smirk.

Mallory raised her eyebrows in response.

"Oh please," Robin said. "We all know you aren't a fan of Hook. You're just a coward."

Gold's response was a very intense stare at Robin. "No, if it comes down to Hook or me, I choose me." He glanced around the room at every person. "I've been here before. I know the rules of the Underworld, if you will."

"No we won't go home," Henry answered. "Not until we find Hook." He walked over to Mallory and looked at her in admiration. "Operation Narwhal," he muttered to her, assigning a code name to the finding Hook mission.

Mallory had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Emma must be close to this kid. She quickly glanced around the room to see everybody staring at the two of them. It was moments like this that she wished she knew her host. She flashed a fake but wide smile and placed a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Of course." She was starting to get the sense that everybody was here because of the woman they think she is which means pretending to be her will be that much more difficult.

Although vague, Mallory's answer seemed the satisfy Henry. He smiled. "Mom found the tracker potion."

Regina glanced at the potion resting on her desk. "Its no use if we don't have anything personal of Hook's."

Silence filled the room before Mary Margaret broke it. She turned towards Mallory. "Emma didn't Hook give you his ring back in Camelot?"

Mallory stiffened. "Yes."

Regina stepped towards Mallory. "Well where is it?" She had her hand out expecting Mallory to give it to her.

Mallory's eyes got wide.

"Why do you look like she's still the evil queen?" Gold asked Mallory, a grin on his face.

Mallory jumped. "What?" she exclaimed.

Regina eyed Mallory. She placed her hand on her hip. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing," Mallory answered all too quickly. She scanned the room to see everybody's reaction. Everybody except Gold looked perplexed.

Mallory laughed nervously. "What I mean is I am feeling a bit off since I passed out _and_ I lost the ring."

"She passed out?" Regina asked staring at David and Mary Margaret.

"It was nothing," Gold interrupted. "She passed out from her new surroundings. She's not used to it. It affects people differently."

There was a small silence before David said, "we'll keep a close eye on her." He flashed Mallory the stern Dad look. "And she'll take it easy from now on."

"Agreed," Mary Margaret said. She stepped towards her daughter and placed her hand on Mallory's back. She began to rub soft circles. "But Emma, did the chain break?"

Mallory stared at her. "What chain?"

"Hook's ring. Wasn't it on a necklace?"

Mallory looked down at Emma's body. She reached her hand up and touched her chest; she felt a bump. She realized that there was a necklace around her neck, hidden under her shirt. She pulled it out and took it off. She handed it over to Regina. "I forgot," she explained. Her eyes diverted to the ground as to avoid eye contact.

Mary Margaret watched Mallory fidget. She stepped away from her. She knew there was something wrong with her daughter. It was beyond her getting sick. She could feel it, but she had no idea what was wrong. She crossed her arms in front of her chest which caught David's attention.

David sighed. "She's…different."

"I know, and I'm going to find out why."

 **-xoxo-**

Gold's eyes were on Mallory. He watched her fidget uncomfortably in her skin. He also watched David and Mary Margaret talk privately with each other opposite of her. He heard Regina say something that called everybody's attention away from Mallory. Mallory still stood in the same place as she did when she entered the Mayor's office: in the background behind the scenes.

Gold took the opportunity to approach Mallory. "So who are you?" he asked her in a low voice. He stood at her right, both facing the group before them.

Mallory's neck snapped to attention, and Gold had all of it. "What?" she said forcefully.

Gold never took his eyes off Regina and the others. "Let's just say Hook is not the only one who felt Emma's presence at his tombstone. We both also know you're not fooling anybody by pretending to be Emma. So who are you?"

Mallory tensed with anger. She was about to spit out a rebuttal but Gold held his hand up which stopped her. "Relax," he said, "I have no intention of telling anybody." He finally looked at her. "Let's just say I can help you, and you can help me." The corner of his mouth turned upwards. "Now let's start by you telling me who you are and what you want."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Humanoid**

The pressure that Emma felt initially was getting stronger. It felt like her soul, her very existence was beginning to waiver. The smothering she felt before was beginning to feel more suffocating now. The weight she felt on her soul was oppressive. It was overbearing. But the more Emma fought, the stronger the grip of her prison became.

She was slipping away, and she knew it.

Maybe, however, Emma wasn't completely helpless. While she couldn't scream or move, she could pay attention to the parasitic spirit that stole her body and what she was thinking. While she couldn't control her body, she knew exactly what was happening outside of it.

Emma's mom knew there was something wrong with her. Emma could tell by the look Mary Margaret had on her face. She was worried that something might have happened when she passed out. By the look on her father's face as he and his wife talked, he was concerned too.

"Relax, I have no intention of telling anybody. Let's just say I can help you, and you can help me. Now let's start by telling me who you are and what you want," Gold said to Mallory.

The pressure Emma felt became that much more intense. Gold knew she was possessed. He knew, and he was helping _her_. _No, don't trust him,_ Emma pleaded with Mallory.

Mallory ignored Emma. She really hated being able to hear her. She eyed the strangers before her. They were all still fiddling with some sort of potion that meant nothing to Mallory. "What do you want?" she sneered.

"I want you to show me where something is," Gold answered.

"Where what is? That Hook person?"

"That's none of your concern. As for you, I'll help you to _be_ Emma Swan. And, of course, you have to help them save Hook."

Emma winced at Gold's comment.

Mallory eyed Gold. "Why should I help you? I can figure out how to be her by myself. All these people seem to adore her. They'll believe anything I say."

"That may be true, Dearie" Gold countered, "but you don't know that the woman whose body you inhabit is the savior."

"The savior?"

"Yes, a very powerful one. She has magic." Gold leaned closer so that his mouth was closer to Mallory's ear. "I can help you harness its full potential, something even she has yet to master."

 _What in the world is he talking about_? Emma thought. _Don't believe anything he says,_ she told Mallory.

 _Stop talking,_ Mallory countered. Gold's offer was more enticing than Emma's. Mallory's lips curled upward in a grin. "I'm listening."

 _He doesn't want what is best for you. He only wants what's best for him,_ Emma told Mallory

 _You really need to stop talking,_ Mallory countered.

"First, I need to know about you," Gold said, his eyes in full twinkle. "Which brings me back to my first question. Who are you?"

Mallory stared at Gold deciding on whether or not she should let her guard down. "Mallory," she said slowly. She paused to decide if it was safe to reveal herself. "I don't know how long it has been since I've been down here, but ever since I first arrived, I desired to go back to the Earthly World to get my revenge. After that, I want to be free and live a… better life." She stared at Regina. She watched as she leaned in and kissed the man beside her. "So she is the evil queen?"

Something odd was beginning to happen to Emma. The pressure was actually subsiding. It was decreasing.

"She _was_ the evil queen. You're going in the wrong direction if you think you can exact revenge on Regina."

"I don't want to kill Regina." She paused. "She's infamous back in the Enchanted Forest for casting the curse, and she's feared. I want to befriend her. I admire her work."

Gold raised his eyebrow. "Such trivial things," he commented. "Who are you? What did you do? You didn't get sent to the Underworld because of your good deeds."

Mallory shrugged her shoulders. "I lied, stole, and cheated my way through life. I killed people who got in my way and I didn't care about who I hurt." She smiled widely. She had no remorse on her face. "Kinda like the queen," she added.

Suddenly, Emma felt stronger. _Told you you should have listened to me,_ Emma smirked.

Gold rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Details," he spat.

Mallory was surprised by this man's urgency to get to know her. "My mom taught me how to lie and steal. Everything I know I learned from her. There was this one time— I remember it clearly— She killed a man for his gold right in front of me. That's when I learned that I can do anything I want to get what _I_ want." She paused. "And I didn't want my mother around anymore, so I killed her," she added nonchalantly.

Emma no longer felt suffocated; she felt free. She was suddenly able to control her movements and even her speech. She was back in her own body, however weak it may be. "Mom, Dad," she gasped. She glared at Gold and began staggering towards them. They were still gathered around Regina with Henry and Robin by their sides.

"Mom," Henry shouted. He was surprised by his mother's frail state.

 _What did you do?!_ Mallory demanded.

Emma ignored Mallory. Her focus was on her family.

"Emma, what is it?" David asked running to her side. He grabbed her to keep her from falling.

Emma grabbed her stomach. She could feel Mallory's spirit still rattling around inside her. She was trying to regain control of Emma's body, and she wasn't being gentle about it. Controlling her own body was becoming harder. She looked up in time to see her mother race to her side who began to rub Emma's upper back. She bent down to Emma's level.

"Emma, tell me what is going on," Mary Margaret said in a stern voice.

Emma could feel herself slipping away again. But before she did, she was able to grab her mother's wrist. She looked Mary Margaret in the eye and begged, "help me."

Mary Margaret was shocked. But just as quickly as her daughter changed, she began to change back. Mallory wiggled away from David's embrace. She stood back and gave a nervous laugh. "Help me find Hook," Mallory corrected. She smiled. She turned around quickly and flashed Gold a dirty look before turning back around. "How is that potion coming?" she added with a smile.

David and Mary Margaret exchanged a blank look.

Regina crossed her arms and emerged from behind her desk. She leaned against it. "Miss Swan, what is going on with you? You are not yourself. The potion is ready, but we need you 100% to get Hook back."

Mallory put her nose in the air. "I'm fine. I'm 100%. Let's go get him back." She was now more determined to trick Emma's closest friends and family.

Emma felt weaker than ever. Taking control of her body took more out of her than she anticipated.

 **-xoxo-**

"You did that on purpose," Mallory growled. She directed her comment at Gold who walked alongside her. They were at the end of a line whose leader, Regina, followed Hook's ring.

"Relax," Gold shot back, "I did it to prove to you that Emma is still in there. You think you know everything. I'm here to show you that you don't."

Mallory glared at him, her trust dwindling in him. "I already know she's still in there. I can hear her panicking. But she'll get weaker and soon she'll die. Then this body will be all mine."

" _That_ is where you're all wrong, Dearie. That may be true for somebody else but for the savior, she will get stronger if you're not careful. She can fight her way back, hence why she came out just now. She's stronger now that she regained control of her body; she may get weaker in between, but once she takes over her body, she'll get stronger."

"No! I want this body if she is as powerful as you say she is," Mallory hissed. "I have another idea. How about I use my powers to kill you and everybody else?"

Gold laughed. "Try it. You have no idea how to use her powers. They'll figure it out before you kill everybody. Not to mention, I'll kill you before you even lift a hand."

Mallory backed off, her blood boiling.

The beginning of the line began to slow as they came upon a building positioned on the corner of two streets. It was made of brick; the building's entrance consisted of double doors with a clock tower positioned directly above them.

"What's this?" Mallory asked.

"The library," answered Gold.

Mallory let out a heavy laugh. "Hook likes to read," she joked. When Gold didn't respond, she cleared her throat and added, "who is Hook anyway?"

Gold looked at Mallory out of the corner of his eye. "Emma's true love," he said flatly.

Mallory rolled her eyes. "Great," she mumbled. "There's nothing worse than true love."

Gold scoffed. "Not a fan?"

"Are you kidding me? Love isn't real, especially true love."

Gold sneered. "Hate to break it to you Dearie, but the best way to convince everybody that you are, in fact, Emma is to…be in love with Hook."

Mallory frowned. "Had I'd known this was going to be this tough, I would have picked somebody else to possess."

Regina held the door open so that everybody could file into the library.

"Well then who are they?" Mallory whispered as the line began to shorten so that everybody could enter the library. She was pointing at Mary Margaret and David.

"Emma's parents."

Mallory rolled her eyes. "Great," she mumbled under her breath. "Who's the kid?"

"Emma's biological son that Regina adopted."

"This family is more messed up than mine."

Regina bent down to pick up Hook's ring that had floated to the floor once the potion brought it to the library's doorstep. She handed it off to Mallory as she passed through the door. "Miss Swan," she said eyeing Mallory.

"I don't see anything," Henry remarked. He looked around the library. Everything seemed to be in place.

"That's because it's probably down there." Regina pointed at the elevator located in the far corner.

Mallory had no idea what was down there but suspected Emma did, so she didn't say anything.

Regina walked over to the elevator and pulled a lever. "We need somebody to stay up here and man the elevator," she said.

"I'll stay," Robin offered.

Regina smiled at him. "Okay," she said. "Henry, you stay up here with Robin."

Henry made a face that indicated he wasn't happy with his mom's decision. He flashed a soft look at Mallory. "What about Operation Narwhale?" Nobody defended him.

The elevator doors came to life and opened with a whirring sound.

Mallory looked at Gold who offered her a slight nod. "Well let's go," she said. She led the way onto the elevator. She smiled at herself. She felt like she was now taking charge and that that is exactly what Emma would do.

The elevator landed roughly and jolted its passengers. They were greeted by a dark and suffocating cave. Boulders and small chunks of rock lined the ground. Clouds of dust floated throughout the cave. There was a deep abyss on the far side that the dust sprung from.

"I don't see anything unusual," Mary Margaret said.

Everybody slowly walked around, spinning in circles to spot anything unusual, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen.

Regina, however, sensed something was off. "Wait," she said. She waved her hand to reveal a group of what could only be described as demons who stood motionless before them. However, the three demons were not their immediately problem. Their immediate problem came in the form of a flying humanoid whose body glowed red. The humanoid had all the features of a human but with wings and a small stature. A malicious sound escaped from its mouth.

"What is that thing?" Mallory shouted to nobody in particular.

Nobody answered her, not even Gold. She suspected it was because nobody knew what it was.

The humanoid began to attack. It held out its hand so that a fireball could appear. It shot it at Regina who tried to dodge it. She failed, however, and it nicked her causing her to fly into a rock, knocking her unconscious.

"Regina," Mary Margaret yelled. Her attention was soon focused on the humanoid when another fireball appeared in its hand.

David ran to his wife to protect her. He pushed her out of the way of another incoming fireball. They both landed on their butts. "Emma, use your powers!" he yelled.

Mallory looked back at Gold who cowered against the cave wall. "Powers come from your emotions. Use your fear," he called.

Mallory desperately tried to summon Emma's powers from within her but struggled.

The humanoid set its sights on David and Mary Margaret who were struggling to their feet.

Gold rolled his eyes. Apparently he was going to have to get more creative to get Mallory to tap into Emma's powers. With a flick of his wrist, Gold froze David, Mary Margaret and the humoid in midair.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?" Mallory said in anger. She began to dust off her jeans.

Gold walked up to Mallory. "If you want to be Emma, you need to use her magic. And for that, you need Emma's help. You have to talk to her. You have to convince her to help you."

"I thought you said if I do that, she can get stronger."

"She can, but it's a two way street. You just have to control how much of her you let in," Gold explained. He stood back to his position by the wall and with a wave of his hand unfroze the scene.

The humanoid screeched as it conjured another fireball in its hand. It launched it at Mallory.

This time Mallory was ready. She flicked her hand. The fireball reversed direction and hurled back at the humanoid. The humanoid burst into flames and disappeared.

"You did it," David said, smiling at Mallory.

Mary Margaret ran to Regina's side. "Regina," she said shaking her. When a groan escaped her lips, Mary Margaret sighed in relief.

Mallory burst with delight. She did it! She was now able to fully utilize her host' s capabilities. In time, Emma would be snuffed out and all that would remain would be her. Gold was proving to be quite the teacher.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Dark Cloud**

Emma shuttered. Up until now, Mallory was unable to use her magic. Now that she used it, Emma felt herself slipping away further. She was, however, still there. She was still hanging on. She wasn't going to give up, at least not until she knew Hook was safe. Until that happens, if she could not defeat Mallory, she was going to hold on as long as possible to save him.

"Ugh what was that?" Regina groaned. She allowed Mary Margaret to help her to her feet. She placed a hand on the back of her head. "That'll leave a mark," she added.

"I don't know but whatever it was Emma vanquished it," Gold said.

"Uhhh… guys, what's happening?" Mallory asked. She forgot about the demons that stood motionless during her battle with the humanoid. Now that it was gone, they seemed to come to life.

"I don't know, but I bet that thing was just a distraction," Regina said.

The demons who wore what looked like black robs were now animated. They were just dark silhouettes of a human figure. Their eyes began to glow red; they slowly stalked towards them, eventually breaking off and encircling them.

Mary Margaret reached for David who wrapped his arms around her. She reached for Mallory as well, but she dodged her embrace. The last thing Mallory wanted was to cower against strangers.

Surrounded by demons, everybody made their way to the middle of the circle with their backs to each other. They constantly dodged their eyes around to try and keep an eye out for each demon.

"What do you want?" a low pitched voice growled. The voice was so loud, the sound reverberated off the cave walls. It didn't appear that the voice was coming from any of the demons.

Nobody spoke.

"Answer me!"

Everybody jumped in surprise by the sheer volume of the voice.

"We have reason to believe this is where somebody we've been looking for is," Mallory spoke up. She was more confident than ever.

Emma watched the scene in anticipation. Had they finally found Hook?

"Killian Jones," the voice boomed.

Mallory stopped. She had never heard Hook be called Killian before. But if she stood still and paid close attention, she could hear Emma confirm the voice's questions. "Yes."

"I'm afraid he's busy at the moment," the voice announced.

"No," David said. "There must be something we can do." He unwrapped his arms around Mary Margaret and lifted his head to the sky to make his voice a little more boisterous.

The voice gave a malicious laugh. Then suddenly a tall, muscular man appeared in a cloud of black smoke, now making a square with the three demons instead of a triangle. He wore a crisp black suit and had dark hair with black eyes. "I am Hades," he boomed. "You aren't the only ones who have tried to get a loved one back. If you want him, you have to exchange a soul for his."

"The Mark of Charon," Regain said, following Hades' thoughts.

Emma gasped. _No_ , she thought. She couldn't have gone this far and gotten possessed for this to be all in vein. She just wanted to share her heart with Hook. She would gladly give her soul for Hook's as well but she suspected her captor was not so eager. She was suddenly flooded with anger. Anger because Hook didn't die the hero he was supposed to be. Anger that he ended up in this place. Anger that she allowed somebody to possess her.

"Any takers?" Hades asked. He didn't make an effort to move from his corner of the square. Instead he stood unmoving with a smug look on his face. He raised his arm and instantly Hook appeared just as Hades did in a cloud of black smoke.

"Emma!"

Emma snapped to attention. She no longer focused her anger on Mallory. Instead she focused her attention on the outside. And there she saw him. A man standing before her wearing black leather pants with a red leather vest and a long, black leather jacket with his collar popped stared directly at Mallory. His left hooked hand hung loosely by his side. His blue eyes conveyed love for the woman he thought was Emma.

Mallory stared at Hook. It suddenly dawned on her why people called him Hook. She also noticed that he was gorgeous. She took a few steps towards him.

"You didn't listen to me," Hook said. He stepped towards Mallory. "You always were stubborn." He smiled. He placed a tender hand on her cheek.

Mallory immediately placed her hands on Hook's face and pressed her lips against his. She was anxious to kiss him. She knew Emma would be seething. Plus he was hot, and kissing him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

It wasn't the passionate kiss Hooked longed for. It was a wet and sloppy one with no feeling behind it. He grabbed her hands and stared at her with confusion. "What's wrong?"

Emma's heart broke. He was here. He was right in front of her, and she couldn't touch him. She couldn't feel him. She loved him so much. She loved him so much, and she was helpless in that love. It was like she was watching him love somebody else.

Rage like she never felt before began to boil within Emma. She pushed with all she had against Mallory. She began to scream as loud as she could manage. She wanted Mallory to feel the pain she made her feel.

"Noth—" Mallory began but was cut off by an intense pain. She winced and grabbed her stomach. She broke the grip Hook had on her and stumbled backwards.

"Swan!" Hook screamed. He knew she shouldn't have come for him. He wished she listened to her and left. He was okay with spending all eternity in the Underworld if that meant she was okay and happy.

Mallory doubled over in pain. She let out a groan.

Mallory's pain only encouraged Emma. She began to fight harder. She began to force her way to the surface. She started screaming again.

"Emma, what's wrong? Tell us how to help you," David pleaded. He had been watching his daughter struggle the entire time they've been in the Underworld. There _was_ something wrong with her.

"Emma. Emma!" Hook called. He shook her gently to get her attention.

Emma stopped screaming. She felt Hook's touch. She looked at him in the eyes. She was back again. Her body was her own. She straightened herself up. Tears began to sting the back of her eyes. They made her eyes glisten before they fell down her cheeks. "Killian," she breathed. She rested her forehead on his and they looked each other in the eyes.

"What is it, Love?" Hook placed his hand on her neck just below her cheek. He stared at her, his eyes full of love. "What's wrong?" Moments ago the woman before him did not seem like the love of his life. Now she was all there. It was completely her.

Their lips were tantalizing close. She yearned for his lips to be on hers. She immediately closed the very short gap between them and passionately pressed her lips against his. His lips warmed her and sent a spark through her body. She let herself go, all of herself. It was just her and Hook. The spirit rattling inside of her was no longer on her mind. She pulled away, their lips still close. She struggled to catch her breath from the kiss that took her breath away.

Emma didn't know how long she had. She didn't know when Mallory would come back. She felt she only had time for a brief chat. "I want to give my soul for yours," she said eagerly.

"No," Hook said, no waiver in his voice.

"You don't understand," she said, "it's too late for me. You were right. This place is dangerous."

"Aye, what are you talking about?"

Emma flinched. She felt Mallory's angry spirit. "She's inside me," she gasped. "I don't think I can beat her."

Hook was astounded. His heart began to race. He didn't know what she meant, but it scared him; the tone of her voice was soft but hardened. She was so sure of what she was saying, even if he didn't know what she meant. He pulled her in for a tight hug. "Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded into her ear. Then he remembered David's comment only a few moments ago about her not being herself.

Emma opened her mouth to tell him but a ripple of pain shot through her body. She almost fell but Hook held her up. "Let me," she begged. "Trade my soul for yours." She held onto Hook for dear life as if his love and embrace would save her from Mallory. "Hurry before I die."

Hook gasped at Emma's comment. His heart sunk as it began to race faster. Numbness started prickling at his body.

Mallory regained control of Emma's body, and she pulled away from Hook. She stared daggers at him. He knew. She told him. She was still recovering from Emma's latest appearance. She worked hard to catch her breath, both from adrenaline and from being sucked into the depths of the body she parasitized.

Hook pointed at Mallory. "You're not Emma," he announced in anger. If it were anybody else in anybody else's body, he would have attacked. "Where is she?" he hollered.

"What are you talking about?" Mary Margaret questioned. "She's right there."

"No," Hook combated. "She told me that she was dying and that she was inside her." He spun around quickly to face to them. "If I had to guess, she has been acting very weird since she got here, right?"

"Yeah," David said, slowly catching onto what Hook meant.

"She's possessed!" Hook yelled. He turned to Mallory. "Tell me who you are, Demon," he demanded.

Mallory smirked. "I'm glad it's out," she said in a callous tone while she slowly clapped. "Now I don't have to go on pretending to be her. Do you have any idea how awful it has been?" She stared at Mary Margaret and David. "You're supposed to be her parents," she spat. "You couldn't figure it out, and you call yourselves heroes." She lifted her hands in the hopes that magic would pour from them.

Mary Margaret jumped. In a way, the spirit was right. She knew something was wrong with Emma this whole time but kept passing it off as the new environment. It wasn't affecting anybody else negatively, but she assumed it was because Emma is much more powerful and, therefore, sensitive to the Underworld's grip. Apparently, she was right just not in the way she would have hoped.

David winced at Mallory's words. They cut like a knife. He knew it wasn't his fault or anybody else's but the spirit that possessed her, but there was some truth to her words.

Regina had the edge against Mallory. She waved her hand and in seconds binding appeared around Mallory's hands. "You're no match for me," she growled. She turned to Hades who simply enjoyed the scene that was happening in front of him. "Is there another way?"

Mallory smiled widely. They didn't know that Gold knew all along and that he was helping her.

Hades simply gave her a blank look. "You cannot cheat death itself," he quipped.

"No," Hook objected. "We can exchange this demon's soul for Emma's." He gave Mallory a dirty look.

Mallory scoffed. "I'm not a demon," she retorted. "I have a name; it's Mallory. And unfortunately that won't work. You see, I already reside here," she taunted. "You have to exchange a soul from the Earthly World."

"She's right," Hades said. "I need the Mark of Charon on somebody who lives upstairs." He pointed up.

Hook grabbed Hades by his tie and pulled him close to his face. "Emma's life is at risk," he spat, more out of worry than anger. "You will take Mallory's soul for mine."

Hades lunged his hands forward causing Hook to fly backwards. "Enough," he screamed in anger, his boisterous voice back. "I do not take orders from you or anyone." He quickly brushed off his suit with his hands.

Hook calmed down, realizing there was nothing he could do. He was likely going to be in the Underworld for eternity. He turned to face Mallory. "I love you, Emma," he said softly. He wanted nothing else but to kiss her again but knew that wasn't her.

Mary Margaret stared at Mallory, her heart full of concern for her daughter. For the first time since the curse was broken, she was afraid for Emma's life. She was afraid belief and love would not be enough to save her daughter, something she thought would never happen. As she watched Mallory, her mind replayed everything that happened since they arrived in the Underworld, specifically focusing on when she noticed Emma's change in personality.

Mary Margaret let out a huge sigh. David enveloped his arm around her and pulled her close. He sighed before saying, "I know. Even if we did catch it earlier, we'd be in the same position as we are now: how to save Emma."

"And Hook," Mary Margaret added. She couldn't imagine coming all this way, going through all this and not saving Hook. It would destroy Emma and everything would be in vein.

David nodded, silently agreeing with her. He knew how his wife felt, and he felt the same way. "We'll get her back. All we need is a plan," he said aiming his comment towards Mary Margaret but loud enough so everybody else could hear.

"We can't sacrifice another life for Emma's. That's what we did to ensure she didn't turn dark and look where it got us," Mary Margaret said. She was well aware of the alternative if she didn't sacrifice somebody else.

Regina let out a heavy sigh. "What am I going to tell Henry?" She knew Henry would be heart broken if he lost Emma, and if Henry hurt, so did she.

"Well let's hope Henry won't be a mother down," David commented. He turned to Hook and asked, "can you come with us? Emma obviously can beat Mallory if you're around."

Hook sadly shook his head. "I feel Emma," he revealed. "I feel her love for me… and her pain." He sighed. "I can't leave unless you exchange a soul for mine. There is no way around that." He looked to his feet, defeated. He was reminded of the last time he thought Emma was going to die when Gold tried to steal her magic. That same feeling he felt back then rushed over him again, this time more intense. He stared at them, pleading with his eyes. "Save her. Don't worry about me."

"Come back if you want to exchange a soul for his. Otherwise, I expect not to see you again," Hades warned. With that both he and Hook vanished in the same dark cloud that they appeared in.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: To Hell and Back**

Regina grabbed Mallory's upper arm and began to force her towards the elevator. "We have to come up with a plan," she said. Everybody fell in step behind her. "What about you, Gold? You've been quiet. Any ideas?"

Gold had plenty of ideas but none that saved Emma. He had his own personal agenda. "Let's go back to my shop," he offered. "I think there may be something there to help us."

Henry anxiously awaited their arrival in the library, but once the elevator screeched to a halt, he noticed Hook was not with them. "What hap—" he began but stopped when he saw his mom had his other mom tied up. "Mom, what are you doing to Emma?"

"This isn't Emma," Regina sadly reported. She let go of Mallory's arm. She put a soft hand under Henry's chin as if to apologize.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked.

"She means that Emma is possessed," David answered.

"Is that why she's been acting weird?" Henry asked, staring into Regina's eyes.

Regina nodded.

"What's the plan?" he asked.

Mary Margaret exhaled loudly. "We don't really have a plan," she confessed. "We have to mark somebody with the Mark of Charon in exchange for Hook's life, and so far we are at a lost for how to get Mallory out of Emma's body."

"Who's Mallory?" Robin asked.

Regina pointed a finger at Mallory. "The spirit that is inhabiting her body." Mallory smiled. "Hello," she said in a sweet voice.

"Let's worry about one thing at a time. First we figure out how to free Emma, then we figure out a way, if any, to save Hook," David suggested.

"Agreed," said Mary Margaret. "You said you have something at your shop that can help?" she asked Gold.

"Yes, if it's there."

 **-xoxo-**

"Damn," Gold said forcefully and loudly. "It's not here." He slammed the cabinet closed that he was searching in. He was standing in his pawnshop with Mary Margaret, David, Regina, Robin, Henry, and Mallory scattered about.

"What were you looking for?" David asked.

"No use now," Gold said. "Can't find it. I was hoping there was a potion that could help with splitting Mallory and Emma up." He stood with his back against them.

Mallory perked up in fear. Did Gold change his mind about helping her? She tensed up and waited for what was to come. "What are you talking about?"

Gold turned to face everybody. He scanned everybody's faces before quickly throwing a fine powder on them.

Immediately everybody fell to the floor, unmoving. Everybody except Mallory.

"What was that?" Mallory demanded.

"I need to cash in your end of the deal," Gold said. "They are all just passed out for now. They'll be fine."

Mallory brought her hands up in front of her face to show Gold that her hands were still bound. She raised an eyebrow. "A little help?"

With a wave of Gold's hand, the binding vanished.

"Ah, that's better," Mallory said.

Gold held up a black vial full of a liquid. "Shall we?" he asked waving it around.

Mallory fell in step behind Gold; she glanced back at everybody lying on the floor. She smirked. She turned her attention back to Gold who walked with a purpose. "So where are we going?"

"That is where you come in. You're familiar with the Underworld. I need you to take me to Cerberus."

"Cerberus as in the three headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld?" Mallory asked, stunned that that was Gold's plan.

Gold suddenly stopped walking and turned to face Mallory. "You're not thinking of backing out of a deal with the Dark One, are you?" he warned.

"You're the Dark One?"

"Yes, Dearie."

Mallory had never met the Dark One before, but she knew _of_ him. "Well what do you want from the beast?"

"I need the Nether."

"What is that?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say you weren't really from around here. It'll ensure that my heart does not turn dark, no matter how many dark deeds I do," Gold explained. "I don't want to end up on my death bed again."

 **-xoxo-**

Mary Margaret jolted awake. She shot up and took in her surroundings. It took moments for her to realize what happened.

Regina snapped to attention as she too took in what happened. "Henry, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Henry answered, rising to his feet.

Robin ran over to help Regina up. "Was that Gold's doing?"

"Who else could it be?" David answered. "Notice who is conveniently missing?"

Mary Margaret's expression turned into horror. "What does he have planned?" Whatever it is it couldn't be good. "Emma is stuck along for the ride."

"We better hurry and stop them," a woman who stood in the doorway said.

The woman was beautiful. She was tall and thin. Her brown hair draped over her shoulders and stopped in the middle of her back. She wore a long, flowy dress that covered her toes. She had light skin which had a light glow to it. Her green eyes had a flicker of blue.

"Who are you?" David asked.

"I'm Persephone," the woman said.

"Persephone as in Hades' wife and Queen of the Underworld?" Henry asked.

Persephone stepped farther into Gold's shop. She gave Henry a smile. "That's right. Hades kidnapped me and took me to the Underworld. He forced me to be his bride. I ate a pomegranate which is a forbidden fruit. Now I have to spend part of every year in the Underworld," she explained.

"Wait a second," David said. "And you know where Gold and Mallory went?"

Persephone shook her head. "Yes, I do. They went to the gates of the Underworld."

"What are they doing?" Robin asked.

"The Dark One wants the Nether. That's where it's kept."

"What's that?" Mary Margaret asked. She glanced at her husband.

"It's the substance that makes up the Underworld. It is death, and it drains the life. It's from the Netherworld, but it was destroyed. Only a small amount of Nether was preserved. Because of that, it is guarded, along with the entrance to the Underworld, by the Cerberus, a three headed dog."

"Well what does Gold want with it? With Emma?"

"If he can get it, he can ensure that his heart does not physically go dark so no matter how much evil he does, he will not die. I don't think it's Emma he wants. It's Mallory," Persephone explained. "She's from this world. Only people from this world can find and access the gate."

Mary Margaret thought for a second, trying to wrap her mind around everything that was happening. "How do you know all this?"

Persephone exhaled loudly, coupled with a small laugh. "I am the Queen of the Underworld. Just like Hades, I know what happens around here."

David crossed his arms. "What does this mean for Emma?"

"Gold is going to trick Mallory. He only needs her for her access to the gate, but he'll lie. He's going to convince her she has to fetch the Nether for him, and the only way to do that is to kill the Cerberus."

"Let me guess," Regina chimed in. "Gold's not going to tell Mallory about the dying part."

"Yes, and with her—"

"—Emma," Mary Margaret finished. "We have to stop her." Mary Margaret's sense of urgency was rising.

"That's why I came," Persephone said. "To stop him."

"Why would you help us?" Regina asked, her skepticism growing by the second.

"We never have other worldly visitors. I know who she is, who you all are. I hate being down here. I don't want you guys to suffer the same fate," Persephone said, her eyes soft.

-xoxo-

The gates of the Underworld were huge. They were solid iron with fire spouting out of tiny holes. They easily towered over the large three headed dog that guarded it.

Gold and Mallory were as tall as the Cerberus's knee. It was a giant, muscular hound with three heads. Each head had a massive set of sharp teeth that growled and snarled.

Emma's fear for even Mallory's spirit was noticeable. She could feel Mallory's fear as she approached the Beast. Gold told Mallory that she had to defeat the Cerberus to get the Nether, but what he did not tell her was that she would have to allow the beast to swallow her so she could use the potion to kill it, allowing access to the Nether, but neither she nor Mallory knew this.

Emma learned a long time ago not to trust Gold. She learned that he was manipulative and maniacal. She would not have gone along with Gold's plan, but Mallory was different. She was desperate for a body so that she could return to the living world. Mallory wanted to be alive again. She wanted to taste freedom and not have to worry about the chaos that she became accustomed to.

Still Emma did not feel sorry for Mallory. She knew how cruel and evil she was. In some ways, she was just like Gold. She was manipulative and maniacal as well. She had a lot of blood on her hands, and couldn't care less about it. She knew she planned to do whatever it took to get her revenge once she attained what she sought after.

Mallory never planned on meeting somebody who was just like her.

 _Don't do this_ , Emma told Mallory. _Gold is lying to you. He can't be trusted_.

Mallory ignored Emma. With the potion in hand, she slowly stalked behind the beast.

Gold stood nearby, hiding behind a blazing pillar silently laughing to himself.

 _He is playing you. He wants you to die. He's too much of a coward to defeat the beast himself,_ Emma tried to explain to Mallory. _We will both die_.

The Cerberus's muscles bulged as it stood guard. Each of its heads guarded a different spot.

 _And what exactly are you going to do? Throw the potion at it? It won't work!_ Emma tried to reason with Mallory. Gold simply told her make sure the beast swallows the potion, but Emma knew that getting that close to one of its heads meant death.

 _Would you shut up? I'm trying to concentrate,_ Mallory snapped at Emma. _Haven't you died yet?_ she complained.

If it wasn't for Mallory being in Emma's body, she probably would have let Mallory listen to Gold. At this point, her only concern was saving Hook. Clearly that wasn't going to happen from in here. She could feel herself once again being suppressed by Mallory's invading spirit.

"Stop!"

Mallory turned around. She saw a beautiful woman standing before her. "Persephone?"

"Gold tricked you," David said. "In order to kill the beast, you have to let it swallow you."

Mallory turned around. She glanced at the Cerberus who was still snarling and growling. It turned around and saw a tasteful meal in front of it. It immediately lunged at Mallory, ready to attack.

But Persephone was ready. She held her hand up. "Stop," she demanded in a stern voice.

The Cerberus immediately stopped. All three heads began to whimper.

"Go," Persephone said, "leave them alone."

The Cerberus turned around and took its original position in front of the gates.

 _I told you_ , Emma said, mocking Mallory.

Mary Margaret emerged from behind the wall that held the pillar Gold was hiding behind. "How could you?" she spat. "You risked Emma's life."

"Sorry Dearie but I saw an opportunity so I took it."

Mallory made a beeline passed Persephone and David who still stood in the open. She approached Gold. "How could you?" she roared, anger boiling within her. She raised her hands, summoning all the anger within her and pressed her hands on Gold's chest.

Gold felt a thick electric shock surge through his body. It stunned him for a second but did nothing else. "Don't you think about doing that again," he barked.

Regina once again bound Mallory's hands. "You deserved that, Gold," she said. She shot him a dirty look.

Gold shrugged, slightly annoyed they thwarted his plan. His eyes wandered to Persephone. He nodded at her as if to greet her. "Persephone," he said.

"Dark One," Persephone said.

"You know each other?" Robin asked.

"He's been to hell and back," Regina answered. "That's how he knew about the Nether." She looked at Gold. "What did you want it for?"

"That's my business," Gold answered.

"No, it isn't," Persephone countered. "You do not get to come here and kill the Cerberus and take the only Nether that's left. It is guarded for a reason." The goddess began to be show signs of anger. "If you try again, I'll make sure you have a visit with Hades," she warned, her eyes bore into his. "Now, lets go get that potion that can extract Mallory from Emma's body."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: One Heart**

Gold set the potion on the counter at his pawnshop. "Here."

Once again everybody was scattered throughout the pawnshop, all eyes on Gold. Mallory sat in a chair close to Regina so that she could keep an eye on her.

"You had this the whole time," Mary Margaret said. "You never were looking for it because you knew where it was the whole time."

"I put it in the safe back in our Storybrooke when Emma asked me to get her to the Underworld," Gold explained. "I thought I'd need it."

"You knew Emma was possessed this whole time," David snarled, realization of Gold's deceit becoming more clearly. "You probably planned it!"

"I can assure you I did not know the whole time. I had nothing to do with Miss Swan getting possessed. I figured it out." He stared at David with a small grin. "I simply took advantage of the situation."

David crossed his arms in front of him, anger visible on his face. "Why'd you store the potion in your safe before we left?"

"The potion has many uses, not just to extract a spirit. I was going to use it on the Nether."

"I'm not drinking that," Mallory spat.

"Mallory has to voluntarily drink it; it can't be Emma," Gold added. "I gave you the potion. The rest is up to you."

Mary Margaret snatched the potion from the counter as she flashed an ice-cold look at Gold. "Can nothing be easy?" she complained out of frustration.

David made his way across the room to his wife. He placed his hands on Mary Margaret's shoulders. "We'll get her back," he said to comfort her.

"I have an idea," Henry chimed in. He took turns staring at everybody, including Mallory who gave him a dirty look.

"I won't drink it," she hissed. "Emma is as good as dead," she taunted.

Everybody ignored Mallory's comment and gathered in a small circle so Henry could share his idea.

"We need Hook," Henry explained. "Last time he was here, Emma came out. He can get her to come out again. Then my mom can split their hearts and give one half to Hook. Then we can tell Emma that she has to get Mallory to drink the potion."

"If Emma makes Mallory drink the potion, it's not technically voluntary," David pointed out.

Henry smiled. "It is because they share the same body. As long as Mallory has control of my mom's body but my mom makes her drink the potion without coming out, I think it's the same thing as Mallory voluntarily drinking the potion."

Everybody looked to Regina for confirmation that it could work.

Regina thought for a second. She smiled at Henry. "How'd you get to be so smart? It could work, but I'm not 100% sure. It's worth a try though."

Mallory stared at the group of people in front of her. She desperately tried to figure out a way to escape, but what put a smile on her face was deciding which one of the people before her gets the Mark of Charon so that they could take her place in the Underworld while she takes theirs in the Earthly World.

Once the group broke up, Regina spun on her heels with a smile on her face. "Let's pay a visit to Hades," she told Mallory as she grabbed her arm to lead her back to the library.

 **-xoxo-**

Mary Margaret anxiously fiddled with the potion in her hand. She looked around the cave. David and Regina stood on either side of her with Robin and Henry on Regina's other side. Gold also stood with them in the cave; they were not letting him out of their sight. Persephone stood in front of them with Mallory, who was still bound, by her side.

The suffocation Emma felt was increasing intensity since she last came out. She hadn't been able to overpower the spirit and take control of her own body in a little while, and she could feel the repercussions of it. Mallory was getting stronger.

"I hope you have somebody in mind to switch with the pirate," Hades boomed. A black cloud of smoke appeared and within it a human figure took form. It wasn't long before he recognized the beautiful woman before him. "My Queen," Hades said, looking at Persephone, "what are you doing here?" His voice became soft.

"I want you to summon Killian Jones," Persephone said.

Emma fluttered with excitement. She wanted to see him.

Hades looked sideways at his wife. "Why?" he demanded.

"Because she is possessed," Persephone said pointing to Mallory. "You are in charge of the spirits of the Underworld including the one that's in her. We cannot allow her to cheat death by possessing a living person. That's not the way things work."

Hades looked to Mallory then to everybody who stood behind the two women. "You know I have no control over the pirate's soul. I just watch over it."

Mary Margaret stepped forward. "We know," she said. "All we want is to see Hook."

"Very well," he said. He waved his hand, and Hook appeared in a cloud of smoke.

It took a few moments for Hook to realize what was happening. "Emma," he gasped. He ran to her but then hesitated. He looked her in the eye, and he knew she wasn't there.

Emma sunk in Hook's gaze.

"It's not her," Mallory said. "Sorry to disappoint."

Hook looked to Mary Margaret and David. "You haven't figured it out," he said solemnly.

"We haven't until now," David said. "We need you to help Emma regain control of her body."

"How?" Hook asked, not even hesitating.

"Love her," Mary Margaret said. She nodded at him.

Hook looked back at Mallory then at Persephone with confusion on his face. He could love her that was no problem, but how could he _show_ his love while somebody else resided in her body.

"It won't work," Mallory said. "She's too far gone. She's not as strong as she was."

Hook felt a lump in his throat. "Emma," he said softly. "I know you can hear me." His voice was soft and full of love. "You can fight her. You're stronger than you think, and I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Emma was so weak. She felt like she had given her all and there was nothing else left to give. She still held on, but not with as much strength as she would have liked.

"Remember the house I picked out? I want to live in that house with you. I want to find a way to become mortal so I can grow old with you," Hook confessed. But if he was honest with himself, he might not get that chance. He will probably spend the rest of eternity in the Underworld.

"It's not going to work," Mallory growled.

Hook reached up and placed his hand on Mallory's cheek. He looked into her eyes and through her soul to find Emma's. "I love you," he whispered.

Emma found her strength in Hook. The look in his eyes melted her.

Mallory growled and jumped backwards.

Hook saw the look in Mallory's eyes. It was pure hate, something he hated seeing come from Emma's physical body.

Emma felt empowered. She decided to try to smother Mallory like she was doing to her. She knew her parents had a plan; she just didn't know what it was.

Mallory stiffened; she winced in pain. She doubled over then fell to the ground.

Emma laid on the cold ground; she struggled to catch her breath. She successfully stuffed Mallory within her, but for how long?

"Emma," Hook gasped in concern. He bent down and held her so that the upper half of her body was in his lap. He brushed a stray blonde hair away from her face. "Hey," he smiled. He looked up to David and Mary Margaret. "It's her."

Regina raced to Emma's side.

Emma smiled at Hook. She was weaker than she had been since Mallory first possessed her body, but she managed to reach up and place her hand on Hook's cheek. "I love you," she whispered. "I don't know how long I can last," she added. She sat up when she saw Regina rushing towards her, dizziness taking ahold of her.

Regina quickly jumped into action. She kneeled in front of Emma. "This is going to hurt."

Emma was confused. She didn't know what was happening until she felt the pain within her chest. Then she knew what was happening: Henry's plan. They were finally giving Hook part of her heart so that he could be resurrected.

Regina reached inside Emma's body and pulled her bright red heart out. It was warm in Regina's hand, and she could feel it pulsating. She carefully ripped the heart in two like she had done for Emma's parents. She held one half of the split heart in either hand and quickly shoved the halves in Hook and Emma at the same time.

"Bloody hell," Hook said. He stared at Regina. "You are supposed to free Emma, not me."

"That's what we are doing," Regina said. She gave him a dirty look before turning to Emma. "We have a plan. I'm sure Mallory can hear this too, but there's no other way. We need you to get Mallory to drink a potion that will expel her from your body, but you can't physically be in control of your body."

"What?" Emma said. "I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I'm strong enough. I don't know how to control her from the inside."

Hook immediately reached his right hand up and grabbed Emma's hand. "Hey," he said, "you can do it. I believe in you enough for the both of us."

Emma smiled. "We share a heart now," she smiled. "I can feel that you do." She leaned in for a light but heart felt kiss. She then turned to her parents, the dizziness getting stronger. "Just in case it doesn't work, I want you to know that I love you both." She then turned to Henry. "I love you too, Kid."

Then Emma was gone.

Mallory quickly stood to her feet. "It won't work," she roared. "She's as good as dead." She glanced down at her hands that were still bound. Unbeknownst to everybody, Hook accidently loosened the binding when he held Emma's hand. Now she slowly fiddled with them in the hopes of getting free.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Love**

"So we are just supposed to wait until Emma comes through?" Hook said. He knew the answer, but his anxiety still rumbled around inside him. He sat on the chair by the fireplace with David, Mary Margaret and Henry sitting on the couch next to him. Persephone and Gold hung out nearby.

Regina and Robin hung back at the desk, making casual conversation with their fingers intertwined.

Nobody noticed that Mallory was drifting dangerously close to the exit.

Mallory was able to break her binding. But before she disappeared through the door, she swung her hands up and moved a heavy marble statue that stood next to the door in front of the door so that there was an obstacle in the way of her captors.

 **-xoxo-**

The air in the Underworld was still the suffocating haze that they had become accustomed to. Trying to see through the thick haze was almost impossible. And just like that, Mallory slipped away, unattended and in Emma's body.

Hook held his right hand over his heart, thankful to be tethered to his own body rather than his tombstone, but saddened to know that he shares something so cherished with Emma and not being able to delight in it. "How could this have happened?" He turned to Gold. "It's your fault, Crocodile," he yelled.

Gold didn't flinch. "It's not my fault you couldn't keep an eye on her," he said nonchalantly.

"Enough of your bickering," Regina snapped.

"We have to find her," Mary Margaret said. "Emma doesn't have much time." She stopped to think about Emma's frail state the last time she came out.

"She is heading back to our world," Gold offered. Everybody stared at him, unsure. "Relax," he added. "It's what I would do."

"He's right," Persephone said. "All Mallory wants is revenge and a normal life again."

"What about me?" Hook asked. "I have to wait until the moon reaches its peak. While I have a heart and a tethered soul, I still belong to Hades."

"Time passes differently down here," Persephone offered. "While you feel like it's been a lifetime down here, it's been but a millisecond up there."

"So the moon is still at its peak?" Hook asked a rhetorical question.

"Great, let's go," David chimed in, anxious to find and save his daughter. Going home didn't sound so bad either.

"I'm afraid I'm the one that can't leave," Persephone said. "I've got to finish the rest of the year out down here."

Mary Margaret smiled at her. She gave her a sad look as she pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you for helping us," she said.

 **-xoxo-**

It felt like forever when the boat and its ferryman finally taxied into Storybrooke.

The moon was still high in the night sky. The air was crisp with a slight chill to it, and it was a welcome change compared to the stuffiness that accompanied the Underworld.

Everybody stood at the edge of the pond, their feet had only been on Storybrooke land for a few seconds.

"Where would she go?" Hook asked, his question directed to Gold. He took a second to enjoy being out of the Underworld, but his worry for Emma distracted him.

Gold sighed. "She said something about wanting revenge," he admitted.

"Wanting revenge on who?" Hook asked, his frustration growing.

"She didn't say," Gold said. He paused. "Wait." Gold looked to Regina. "She admired you," he added. "She wanted to befriend you."

Regina scoffed. "So she's delusional too."

"Hold on, Regina," David said. "She's probably trying to find your place or your vault. Think about it. If she wants to befriend you, what better way than to get your advice on how to get revenge?"

Mary Margaret looked to David. "That makes sense," she agreed.

"Okay but how would she know where she lives?" Robin asked.

"My mom," Henry chimed in. "She would tell her to go somewhere where we can find her."

Hook didn't hesitate. He immediately took off in the direction of Regina's house. When nobody followed him, he turned around and asked, "anybody coming?"

"Hold on Hook. We need a plan," David suggested.

"The plan is to catch her," Hook said, dumbfounded he didn't know that.

"Yes but she knows how to tap into Emma's magic. She can use it against us," David said.

With a heavy sigh, Hook's shoulders fell. "Well, what do you suggest?"

"I still have the enchanted cuff," Regina asked.

 **-xoxo-**

Initially after taking control of her body the last time, Emma felt stronger, but the relief was now dwindling as she was becoming weaker. She's been spending her energy trying to convince Mallory to go to Regina's house for a book of spells that Regina has. Of course, Emma had no idea if it exists but she needed to get Mallory there so that, hopefully, everybody could find her.

Mallory frantically tore the house apart, room by room, looking for a fictional book.

 _Where is it_? Mallory asked Emma.

 _It's here somewhere,_ Emma answered. _I saw her with it. It's the book that Regina got her curse from._

Mallory ransacked Regina's closet. _I don't see it._

Emma took advantage of her one on one time with Mallory. _I can only get bits and pieces of what you're thinking. Who do you want kill?_

 _My stepmother,_ Mallory growled. _I adored my father, and he adored me until she came into the picture. I was sent to boarding school._

 _That does suck,_ Emma offered, _but why do you need to kill her for it._

"Because she ruined my life!" Mallory screamed. She jumped at her own outburst when she realized she said that out loud.

Emma couldn't care less about Mallory's desire for revenge. She was trying to stall while she waited for her family to show up, but Mallory was running out of rooms to search.

Mallory became enraged. _You lied to me!_

 _Yeah, so what?_ Emma responded. _This is Regina's house but she didn't get the curse out of a book._ She felt defeated as her plan was starting to fail.

"Mallory."

Emma was relieved to see her dad.

Mallory whirled around on her feet. By now, she had made her way to the foyer with the intention to leave, having searched the entire house for the book. She ran to the door and swung it open to see David standing before her.

Unbeknownst to Mallory, Emma knew Regina was sneaking up behind her, cuff in hand. This is it. It is the moment she had been dreading. She had to control Mallory's movements without having physical control of her own body.

She still had no idea how she was going to do it.

Emma summoned the rest of her strength. She focused everything she had on Mallory. She thought about how it felt to have control of her own body again. She thought about _being_ Mallory in her own body.

Regina was just inches away from Mallory when she turned around.

Mallory flung her hands upwards which sent Regina flying across the room.

Emma fixated on Mallory. She imagined her body as if she was on the outside watching.

Regina landed hard. She stood to her feet. "I was hoping I didn't have to do this. Sorry, Emma," she said. She raised her hands, summoning the magic she needed to stun Mallory.

"Wait," Mallory called.

Regina hesitated. "Emma?"

Mallory was horrified. She was still in control of Emma's body or so she thought. She could physical feel herself unlike how she felt when Emma had control of her body, but it was different. It was like she was paralyzed only her body was moving and talking without her permission.

"Yeah," Emma said, her voice strained.

Regina could see the fear and anger in Mallory's eyes. She didn't know what was happening or that it could even happen.

Regina jumped into action. She easily placed the enchanted cuff on Mallory's wrist before running to the front door. "We need the potion," she called. Everybody was waiting outside for their cue.

David, Mary Margaret, and Hook ran to the door and quickly piled inside. Mary Margaret handed the potion to Emma. "Drink this," she said.

It took everything from Emma. She imagined Mallory's hand grabbing the potion from Mary Margaret. Ever so slowly, Emma forced Mallory's hand up to grasp the potion. She could feel Mallory resist her control, which made Emma that much more determined. Making Mallory drink the potion took so much out of Emma that by the time Mallory swallowed the last drop, she was no longer able to control Mallory. She began to feel suffocated and suppressed. There was not even an ounce of energy surging within Emma. She could not hold on any longer; she had to let go.

"How dare you!" Mallory seethed. She reached up and slapped Mary Margaret across the face.

Mary Margaret stumbled backwards before catching herself. She brought her hand up to her stinging face.

"Mary Margaret," David called, "are you okay?"

Mary Margaret shook her head. "Guess it's not Emma anymore."

Hook stared at Mallory. "C'mon," he said under his breath. "Work."

Mallory tried to summon the magic she'd come to love but failed. Noticing the cuff on her wrist, her blood began to boil; however, her anger quickly became secondary compared to the dizziness and tingling she felt throughout her body.

A dark purple cloud began to rush out of Emma's eyes, nose, and mouth. The cloud collected into a ball of bright light that hovered above everybody's heads.

But all eyes were on Emma, especially Hook's.

Emma's lifeless body fell to the ground. She hit the floor with a sickening thud.

Hook immediately dashed to her side, shaking her and calling her name.

Mary Margaret and David kneeled down next to Emma, opposite of Hook. They watched in horror as Hook desperately tried to arouse Emma.

Hook sat cross-legged on the ground. He lifted Emma so that he held her in his lap. She looked so peaceful in his arms. Hook had become fond of gazing at Emma in the morning before she woke up. To him, she looked like she usually does in the morning, before she wakes up. Only now, she's not sleeping.

Tears silently began to roll down Hook's cheek as he bent over to give Emma a light kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. He wrapped his arms around her and brought her up to his chest, giving her a hug. Then suddenly he felt Emma gasp and then move.

Emma looked Hook in the eyes and gave him a smile that he thought he'd never see again. She kissed him passionately. She ran her hand through his hair.

Emma pulled away and simultaneously hugged her mom and dad. She pulled away when she heard Henry call for her. She smiled and stood to her feet, embracing her son. "Hey Kid, I missed you," she told him.

But the happiness of the reunion was cut short when the ball of light began to vibrate creating a buzzing sound.

Emma squinted her eyes. She looked to the orb with determination. "What do we do with her?"

Hook smiled. "Now that she is here and not in the Underworld, I can trade places with her. We just have to give her a ride."

"No problem," Regina said. She grabbed the vial that held the potion and opened it. Instantly the orb became a cloud again as it was sucked into the vial. "Now all we need to do is send her packing."

Emma turned back to Hook. "That's it," she said, "it's over. You're back."

"Aye," Hook said. He slipped his hand in hers and stared at her lovingly. "Now let's go back to our place."

Emma let out a sigh of relief. _Our_ place. She was grateful to have him back. She could finally get her happy ending with the man she loved. They shared a heart now which meant they were one. They were that much closer.

With a smile on her face, Emma allowed Hook to lead her to their house. As she passed everybody she mouthed _thank you_ to every single person who had helped her and Hook in the Underworld. She also silently thanked Persephone.

Looking back on it, if somebody told Emma that she would have a family that loves her and a handsome man that truly loved her and she him, she would have laughed in their face.

 _-The End-_

 _Hey everybody! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it!_


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